diff --git a/packages/@ourworldindata/core-table/src/OwidTable.ts b/packages/@ourworldindata/core-table/src/OwidTable.ts
index 7e2dbb3d851..529aff908b1 100644
--- a/packages/@ourworldindata/core-table/src/OwidTable.ts
+++ b/packages/@ourworldindata/core-table/src/OwidTable.ts
@@ -607,30 +607,25 @@ export class OwidTable extends CoreTable<OwidRow, OwidColumnDef> {
 
     // Give our users a clean CSV of each Grapher. Assumes an Owid Table with entityName.
     toPrettyCsv(
-        //
         useShortNames: boolean = false,
         activeColumnSlugs: string[] | undefined = undefined
     ): string {
-        const activeColumnsDiff: Set<string> = activeColumnSlugs
-            ? differenceOfSets([
-                  new Set(this.columnSlugs),
-                  new Set(activeColumnSlugs),
-              ])
-            : new Set()
-        const columnSlugsToRemove = differenceOfSets([
-            activeColumnsDiff,
-            new Set([
+        let table
+        if (activeColumnSlugs?.length) {
+            table = this.select([
                 OwidTableSlugs.year,
                 OwidTableSlugs.day,
                 this.entityNameSlug,
-            ]),
-        ])
-        return this.dropColumns([
-            OwidTableSlugs.entityId,
-            OwidTableSlugs.time,
-            OwidTableSlugs.entityColor,
-            ...columnSlugsToRemove,
-        ])
+                ...activeColumnSlugs,
+            ])
+        } else {
+            table = this.dropColumns([
+                OwidTableSlugs.entityId,
+                OwidTableSlugs.time,
+                OwidTableSlugs.entityColor,
+            ])
+        }
+        return table
             .sortBy([this.entityNameSlug])
             .toCsvWithColumnNames(useShortNames)
     }